Out of nowhere comes one of the best Star Wars pieces of media seen in the past decade. From the first episode, I could tell that Disney had something special in their hands. Now, after finishing the last chapter of season one, I’m more than excited to see where the future of this show lies.
Overview
The story of the Mandalorian takes place after the Empire had fallen and before the rise of the First Order led by Kylo Ren. The series stars a lonesome bounty hunter who completes jobs far outside of the authority of the New Republic to make ends meet.
Simple
One of the most significant issues that show and movies alike fall into is trying to over complicate their stories. The Mandalorian does the opposite most of the time, and each episode has a singular goal. This formula works well since if you didn’t like the previous story, you have another tale waiting to unfold.
While some characters return from episode to episode, it’s clear that the Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal), also known as “Mando.” As well as his companion, commonly known as “Baby Yoda,” are the only continually recurring characters. The season was absolutely stellar but if you happen to not enjoy an episode it wasn’t because the story was too complicated. If you’ve watched Star Wars for a long time you’d know that can be a real issue for the series.
Always Something New
Star Wars is one of the biggest sci-fi series the world has ever seen. In Star Wars, there are so many worlds, and it’s always been a let down when the creators of one of the movies or tv shows don’t take advantage of its the colossal universe.
Unsurprisingly the Mandalorian fixes this issue as well. Mando practically journeys to at least one new planet or location every episode, if not two.
Fans will love the fan service and the different tones of the episodes. From the beginning of the show where the storytelling was primarily visual, and Mando didn’t speak very often at all to the events where a band of misfits joins him. You never know what to expect going in the latest installment.
Still Star Wars Even Without Lightsabers
Lightsabers are not what makes Star Wars suitable. The action in The Mandalorian was incredible for a live-action TV show. It was a concern of mine that the action would either look uninteresting or just be lacking. However, I can say I’ve never been more happy to be wrong.
The choreography during battle is astonishingly impressive. Whether blasters are involved or hand to hand combat, you’ll want to see even more.
Successful in Different Formats
Most episodes throughout season one star Mando and Baby Yoda. From chapter to chapter the pair are thrown into various situations. Maybe they’re joined by allies or end up getting separated. No matter what issue they have to go through the episode flows exquisitely.
It’s not easy to make a great show and even harder to shuffle in and out the cast and make the show still enjoyable. Not only that, but the supporting characters, although they do not possess primary roles, they all give strong performances. Talents that stand out the most are Greef Karga (Carl Weathers) and Cara Dune (Gina Carano), who meet Mando during his journey.
Conclusion
The show’s simple premise allows for each story to be it’s own. Fans don’t have to be too worried if they don’t enjoy a particular episode because of its story since the next adventure will be different from the last.
From space battles to shoot outs in the desert the action scenes are superb. Nothing is too clunky or awkward looking which can be a common occurrence for conflicts within tv shows.
How can a masked figure convey so many different feelings or emotions? The acting as a whole is very pleasing. If the Mandalorian weren’t a good actor, the story itself would not be nearly as satisfying. His performance alone was so important to this series, and he doesn’t even speak often. It’s his body language and his attitude to every situation that proves his expertise.
The Mandalorian is one of the most excellent series to come from Star Wars, and during a time where Star Wars isn’t as loved as it used to be, it couldn’t have been released at a better time.
